Indonesian customs officials said yesterday they had arrested a Malaysian teenager who attempted to smuggle 700 grammes of heroin by concealing dozens of pills in her body.

Surabaya airport customs officer Buhari Sirait said they detained 18-year old Ling Shao Chi last Saturday in Surabaya airport soon after she landed on a flight from Kuala Lumpur.

An x-ray examination exposed the drugs.

"In front of the officials, Ling admitted that she was paid 2.5 million rupiah (RM890) to smuggle heroin by swallowing 84 capsules of heroin powder," he said.

Sirait said the estimated price for the heroin was about 1.7 billion rupiah (RM603,000).

Indonesia enforces stiff penalties, including life imprisonment and the death penalty, for drug trafficking.

- AFP